Ass back home
by yapook
Summary: Sasuke comes to his senses... finally.


**AU: I always thought Sasuke had to come back sometime. **

_**It all started with a stranger that knew too much.**_

It was dark. He was lying against the headboard in the crummy hotel room, not that he really noticed. The room that is. The peeling paint and shutterless windows were the least of his worries.

He was dry, clean, in a fairly soft bed, and all was silent, everything else was lost to him. Those simple commodities were hard to come by nowdays. His team would usually be screaming and raising hell in the small room. It was enough to drive him mad on bad days and irritate him on the good. Now though, it was quiet. Only the warm summer breeze drifting through the window and the soft sounds of the night accompanied him.

Sasuke was tired. Not sleepy, but a deep exhaustion that sapped his moral and made him question his resolve. His team was gone, each person for their own reasons. His brother was dead. Years ago that would have been a blessing, but now he just felt numb, like it hadn't quite hit yet.

He'd always thought that once he killed his brother life would just fall into place and everything would get better. His whole time in the academy was spent imagining it, and working for that one goal. Later he had chosen his goal over his village. And somehow he had missed one important detail.

What would he do after killing his brother. Not once had he thought past the moment where his brother fell. Honestly he had expected to die in the attempt. That was why he had burned every bridge he could. He'd thought that it woudn't matter because he would be dead anyway.

Then it was done. His brother was dead. His only goal in life was achieved, and how did he feel?

Empty.

He didn't feel happy, successful, or fullfilled.

There was no cheering to celebrate his heroic deed.

There was no congratulations from his friends.

There was only a cold body on the ground.

He was so tired.

His thoughts were disturbed by the figure leaning over his bed. Thinking it was Madara again (because who else could sneak up on him), he just rolled over and burried his face in the pillow. He was sick of the man and his mind games.

"Go away"

"No"

Sasuke's body tensed before rolling over to fight the unfamiliar voice, but froze at the small stature of his attacker. His eyes narrowed on the seemingly innocent figure.

"Who are you and why are you here?" he asked with a perfectly composed face not betraying the confusion laying underneath. Civilians were usually too timid to confront shinobi.

"To talk," the small, feminine form crawled onto his bed beside him, ignoring his violent jerk away from her, "I want to know what you want."

"How do you know my name?" his voice quiet and deadly, he pulled his sword from its sheath. She would die now, this small girl for knowing too much.

"No Sasuke, what do you want?" she stared up at him completely unafraid.

"Who sent you? How did you find me?" There was a good chance it wasn't Madara as he rarely resorted to using children as Orochimaru had done. The only other option was Konohagakure and they wouldn't stoop so low as to send someone defensless against him.

"That is _not_ what this is about!" she hissed, angry now, "I want to know what you want Sasuke."

"I will humor you," he would give her this last request before she joined his brother, "I want vengence. Now tell me who sent you?"

"Nobody sent me and stop lying! What do you want!" She was fast becoming an annoyance. He would deal with her now, forget playing games. He pushed away the exhaustion that blurred his perfect vision and slowed his muscles.

"I want to kill the bastards who sent my brother to his death and arranged the slaughter of my family." She would never get the chance to repeat it so why not? He told the truth. He took his time knowing civilians wouldn't be fast enough to stop his blade and was caught off guard by her violent reaction.

"Stop doing as you're told and think for yourself Sasuke!" the girl completely lost it, throwing pillows at him and screaming at the top of her lungs, " You have always believed what others have told you! You did exactly as Itachi told you and hated him, you did exactly as the villagers expected and went after revenge, you did exactly what Orochimaru wanted and abandoned your village, and now you are doing exactly what Madara wants and hating the village! THINK SASUKE! Do _YOU _believe these things? Do _YOU _want these things? WHAT DO YOU WANT SASUKE? _WHAT DO __**YOU**__ WANT?"_

Her voice grew louder until she was hoarse; each word cutting a little deeper into him than the last. The silence afterward filled the room.

It was so quiet she almost missed his reply, but it was there and more meaningful than all his other words.

"I-I want to see my brother," and he was gone.

The curtain drifted back into place and she was left alone on a still warm comforter.

Sasuke was running, sprinting away. He could not stay any longer. Let her know, it didn't matter. A dam had broken inside him and he shuddered at the flood of repressed emotions.

"I want to tell my parents goodbye. I want to go home. I want my family," his voice small and pleading, like a childs. The words were lost, wind tearing them away the moment they left his lips. His vision blurred and the thick forest he was speeding through disappeared behind burning tears. He was so tired. He was tired of all this madness.

Everything hurt so much, why did he always have to hurt? God he just wanted this nightmare end and wake up safe in bed, knowing his parents and brother were just down the hall. He wanted everything to go back to the way it was.

He looked up at the stars to the west and felt an ache grow inside him. He wanted to go home.

Kotetsu was arguing with Izumo again about how boring gate duty was. Izumo kept insisting that it was important and vital to the village and he thought it was a waste of time. Midway through demonstrating with his hands he noticed Izumo's lack of attention.

"Hey don't ignore me..." he trailed off, finally catching sight of what had his friend so frightened.

The figure walked through the gates, head tilted down and trademark blue hair shining in the sunlight.

The ANBU that soon circled him along with the rookie nine were welcomed by the two chuunin.

Weapons pointed and fists ready to defend their village, they all tensed as a pale hand gripped the hilt of a sword. The _shing_ as the first few inches were drawn made all hold their breathe in anticipation...

... and jump at the clanging as it hit the ground.

He stood head bowed in front of a large stone that held more names then any of the others. More names than the KIA memorial stone from the Great Shinobi Wars.

He trailed his finger over two of the names that he both loved and hated for everything they did.

"Goodbye kaa-san, tou-san"

Sasuke let his hand drop to the crudely carved name at the very bottom of the stone and the words he made with his own hand.

**Uchiha Itachi**

**...he died smiling...**

"Thank you aniki"

The training field was littered with broken kunai and shrapnal. The trees were twisted into abstract shapes only an artist could understand. The ground was pitted with holes of varying sizes.

A panting figure in orange caught his eye.

Another rasengan formed.

Another tree destroyed.

The bright blonde hair was flung out of accusing blue eyes as he turned to Sasuke.

"What do you want?" the familiar words tainted with hurt and anger at his betrayal. The boy of sunshine took a few steps forward intending to start a fight.

"I'm sorry"

The sincere words drew him up short, mouth hanging open in shock.

Sasuke looked down before walking away.

Strong arms caught him in an awkward hug, stopping him.

The floodgates finally broke and so did Sasuke. He cried for everything he lost. For everyone he hurt. For everything that was ripped away from him.

For forgiveness.


End file.
